BEST WESTERN Bayfront Inn

The BEST WESTERN BAYFRONT INN is located in the heart of the historic district on the beautiful Matanzas Bay. This 1950 historic hotel conversion of 59 comfortable petite and cozy rooms while still offering all of our signature amenities and exceptional first in class service. The hotel is equipped to meet the expectations of our guests. Personal attention, friendly faces and a quaint family atmosphere is the foundation of what we strive to provide our guests.

Having the ideal location within walking distance of all major attractions in the historical district, the BEST WESTERN Bayfront Inn has much to offer.

The BEST WESTERN Bayfront Inn invites you to see the Spanish Quarter, a restored eighteenth century section of old St. Augustine. Here, Spanish soldiers and settlers lived with their families close to Spain's Florida fortress, the Castillo de San Marcos.

Explore the Spanish Quarter and all of downtown St. Augustine, all within walking distance from your door step!

We are convenient to the many sites, sounds and tastes of the nation's oldest city. For simple sightseeing we even offer sightseeing tickets and Old Town Trolley pickup right on site.

In addition to telephones, wireless Internet access, and cable television, all rooms also contain refrigerators and microwaves for your convenience.

While you are here, casually walk down narrow brick streets to quaint taverns, restaurants, shops and balconied Spanish homes. Watch the fishing fleet as it puts to sea each morning.

The old fortress, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, is virtually next door, as are tennis courts, an ice cream parlor, coffee shops, restaurants and historic attractions.

Hotel Amenities & Services

Wireless internet connection in public areas

100% smoke-free hotel

Outdoor pool

24-hour front desk

Exterior corridor

Multilingual staff, English, Spanish, Hungarian

Free wireless Internet available in public areas; Free in-room wireless Internet access; Free wireless Internet access available in public areas and all guest rooms

Business center, hours 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., free

Printer available

Fax services

Fax machine

Computer available

Photocopy, nominal fee

Photocopy machine

Dataports

Mail services

Air-conditioning

Ice/vending machines

Paid parking, 7.00 USD fee, one car per room

Higher rates may apply for holidays/special events

Free USA Today available in lobby

BEST WESTERN Bayfront Inn

Take advantage of the savings and fun with this special offer available at the
best western bayfront inn in Saint Augustine.

BEST WESTERN Bayfront Inn

Conveniently located, the best western bayfront inn in Saint Augustine, Florida is shown on the map. Detailed driving directions from popular points or nearby cities are listed below.
For those with GPS, here you go:

Longitude: 29.895415 / Latitude: -81.311365

Driving Directions to Hotel

From: The north. Take I-95 South from Jacksonville to State Road 16 Exit 318. Go east on State Road 16 to St. Augustine US 1. Turn right on US 1 then turn left on Castillo Drive. Proceed down Castillo Drive until it ends at San Marco Avenue. Turn right on San Marco Avenue until it becomes Avenida Menendez Avenue along the bay front. The BEST WESTERN Bayfront Inn is on the right side at 16 Avenida Menendez Avenue.

From: The south. Take I-95 North from Daytona to State Road 16 Exit 318. Go east on State Road 16 to St. Augustine to US 1. Turn right on US 1 then turn left on Castillo Drive. Proceed down Castillo Drive until it ends at San Marco Avenue. Turn right on San Marco Avenue until it becomes Avenida Menendez Avenue along the bay front. The BEST WESTERN Bayfront Inn is on the right side at 16 Avenida Menendez Avenue.

BEST WESTERN Bayfront Inn

We care about the quality of your stay with us. Below are nearby attractions, shopping and restaurants that are
popular with our guests. Listed locations are nearby with approximate distance listed where available.

Most Popular Area Attractions

This park offers some of the best kid-friendly fun to be found in historic St. Augustine and on the northeast Florida coast. Explore numerous fun activities, including mini-golf, go-karts, batting cages, an arcade, and the “Max Flight” roller coaster.

Serving as the seat of the Catholic Bishop of St. Augustine, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine is located in St. Augustine, Florida. Recognized as a U.S. National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the cathedral was completed in 1797.

Numerous previous versions of the cathedral, dating back as early as the 1500s, stood in its northeastern Florida location before being brought down by weather, attacks, and fires. Architecture enthusiasts visiting the Basilica will note the its striking Spanish Colonial and Renaissance Revival characteristics, including a bell tower containing what is thought to be one of the oldest church bells in the U.S.

A four-year liberal arts college in the heart of St. Augustine, Flagler College was established in 1968 and has a student population of about 2,500.

Ranked by Princeton Review in the top tier of college in the southeastern U.S., it is without a doubt one of the most beautiful college campuses in the northeast Florida region. The campus occupies 19 acres and centers around Ponce de Leon Hall, originally built as a luxury hotel in 1888.

Fort Matanzas was built in 1742 by Spanish forces to help guard the southern approach to St. Augustine – particularly against their biggest threat at the time, the British, who had just finished their second siege on the northeastern Florida coast. Serving as a mighty reminder of the early Spanish empire, the area became a National Monument in 1924.

It encompasses not only the fort, but also 100 acres of salt marsh and barrier islands along the Matanzas River. Similar to the Castillo de San Marcos, the Fort was built of coquina shellstone. The Visitor Center, built in 1936, provides full information and contains some museum items.

Fort Mose Historic State Park in St. Augustine was the site of the first legally sanctioned free African settlement in the U.S. In 1738, it was designated as a settlement for those fleeing slavery from the English colonies in the Carolinas. Fort Mose was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994 and a precursor site on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom in 2009.

In 2009 the National Park Service named Fort Mose as a precursor site on the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Sadly, only remains of the earthen or wooden structures remain, but you can still tour the grounds, stroll the boardwalk, and learn more about Fort Mose through exhibits in the visitor center and museum on the northeast Florida coast.

The Fountain of Youth Park offers guests an entertaining and informative look at the original site of Ponce de Leon's 1513 exploration of northeast Florida and the 1565 site of colonial St. Augustine. Preserving the town's history, the Fountain of Youth Park features reconstructed sets and buildings of Colonial America's very first settlement.

Explore the site's rebuilt church, the indigenous Timucuan Village, a Chalupa Shipyard, and archeological and historical weapons exhibits. Don't miss the park's cannon firing demonstration and stop by the park's gift shop or enjoy a meal at Five Flags Cafe.

Designed by Hollywood filmmakers, Marineland opened in 1938 and originally allowed St. Augustine visitors to swim with dolphins. It has developed over the years into today’s Marineland, which is more about education and conservation than about animals performing tricks.

There are plenty of exhibits and opportunities for you and the family to interact with and learn about dolphins and other marine life living off the northeast Florida coast.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Old St. Johns County Jail, also known as St. Augustine's Authentic Old Jail, offers guests a glimpse of northeastern Florida's past. Take a guided tour throughout the jail's cells, maximum-security area, and gallows area.

Don't forget to visit the Old Jail Museum, which preserves the sheriff's living quarters, the prison's weaponry, and exhibits on the prisoners and their grisly stories. You'll also "meet" the famous historical Sheriff CJ Perry and be "processed" by costumed guides as a new prisoner.

Take on the Old Town Trolley Tours when paying a visit to historic Old Town St. Augustine. This 70-minute narrated tour helps visitors explore over 500 years of St. Augustine history, with over 100 points of interest along the way.

It’s flexible, too: you can hop on and off the trolleys along the way; they come by every 15 to 20 minutes. At the Old Town complex, check out Gator Bob’s, the Florida Heritage Museum, the Historic Old Jail, and more northeastern Florida coast attractions.

Historians say the St. Augustine area is the birthplace of American wine, dating back to 1562. Opened since 1996, San Sebastian winery is housed in one of the old East Coast Railway structures built by Henry Flagler. San Sebastian ranks as one of Florida'stop wineries, focusing on wines from hybrid and muscadine grapes.

The Winery produces over 1 million bottles’ worth of wine each year, and their products can be found at stores throughout Florida. But this is where it all happens. Complimentary wine tours are available seven days a week, and their “Cellar Upstairs” Wine, Jazz, & Blues Bar offers extended enjoyment.

Dating back to 1893, Alligator Farm Zoological Park has evolved from its early days as a reptile exhibit to a full-fledged zoo in St. Augustine. Exhibits include not only alligators, but exotic birds and mammals, Komodo dragons, pythons, lemurs, and even a nice collection of fossils of animals found on the northeast Florida coast.

A new zip-line even allows you to zip above Alligator Lagoon on Crocodile Crossing, if you're feeling adventurous enough.

An unmistakable icon towering over St. Augustine since 1874, the red-topped black-and-white striped lighthouse rises 165 feet. You can climb the spiral steps and enjoy magnificent views of the town, islands, and ocean off the coast. Along with the tower, the grounds feature the 1876 Keepers' House, two summer kitchens added in 1886, a 1941 U.S. Coast Guard barracks and a 1936 garage that was home to a jeep repair facility during World War II.

The museum, open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m,, features the original Fresnel lens, shipwreck artifacts, and more. While children must be over 44 inches tall in order to climb the lighthouse tower, the playground will delight kids of all ages and heights. Along with the self-guided tours of the grounds, guided tours are also available that include paranormal and archeology tours.

Containing the most authentic collection of pirate artifacts under one roof, the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum is one of northeastern Florida's most interesting attractions. Catch glimpses of artifacts once owned by real pirates, including Blackbeard's original firearm, a Jolly Roger flag, and Thomas Tew's original treasure chest.

Don't miss a stop at the museum's extensive Treasure Shoppe or embark on the museum's Discovery Drawers treasure hunt. The museum is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Located between Castillo Drive and Cathedral Place, St. George Street runs along the heart of downtown St. Augustine and is one of northeastern Florida's most charming shopping and dining districts. Browse restaurants, galleries, shops, and bakeries hidden throughout the street's Old World and historical decor.

There are no cars allowed, but you can find plenty of parking in the surrounding downtown area. Guests can also ride the on and off tourist trolley and make their way to the nearby Castillo San Marco.

Not just a retail store featuring chocolates, St. Augustine’s “Original Chocolate Tour” is led by Whetstone Chocolatiers, makers of chocolates in the area since the 1960's. Tours include the history and making of chocolate and the Whetstone story off the Florida coast.

Located in the World Golf Village along I-95 in the western area of St. Augustine, this Hall of Fame Museum features both permanent and a series of temporary exhibits. They include exhibits on the game's history, heritage, techniques, major players and organizations, golf course design, equipment, and dress, and new things such as ecological concerns in course management on the coast.

There’s also an IMAX Theater, and of course, the golfers being honored in this Hall of Fame.

BEST WESTERN Bayfront Inn

Enjoy your stay with us even more by checking out some of the
most popular area points of interest
and
local area events happening
in or near Saint Augustine. Chase the links to explore the local region even more.

Local Events Worth Considering:

April 2015

April 9-12, 20152015 Disney On Ice: Let's Celebrate!

Catch Disney's classic characters as they "celebrate" with a performance chock-full of songs and dances from all of the Disney favorite films. The event is hosted at the Veteran's Memorial Arena.

April 4, 20152015 Riverside Arts Market

This event has drawn national press coverage, featuring over 100 juried artists showcasing pottery, paintings, jewelry, and so much more hosted in Jacksonville's Riverwalk.

April 10-12, 201520th Annual Rhythm & Ribs

Enjoy delicious BBQ from some of the best regional and national BBQ-ers alongside live music, arts, crafts, children's activities, and more. The event is hosted at Francis Field in St. Augustine.

May 2015

May 21-24, 20152015 Jacksonville Jazz Festival

Celebrate all things "cool" during this four day festival hosted at various venues throughout Jacksonville.

May 2, 20152015 Tee Off Downtown

Celebrate the upcoming PLAYERS WEEK in downtown Jacksonville with a day of food trucks, live music, cash bars, and so much more at the Shipyards Downtown. The fun begins at 6 p.m.

May 5-10, 20152015 The PLAYERS Championship

Check out one of the PGA's biggest events held annually at TPC at Sawgrass in Ponte Verde Beach. The tournament is five days long with differing tee times.